“What do you want to do now?” I asked.
She grinned mischievously. “I know what Iwantto do, but if we do that again, I literally won’t be able to move tomorrow. Why don’t we just go for a walk before dinner?”
I chuckled. “That sounds great. Let’s get dressed.”
Ten minutes later, we were strolling hand in hand around the perimeter of the campground. The staff were setting up a bigwood-fired grill at the pavilion. When we passed them, I asked the guy what they were doing.
“Sunday night barbecue. We do it every week. Hotdogs, burgers, ribs, all the fixings. Make sure you two come out for it.”
My stomach rumbled even though I’d only had lunch a couple hours before. “We’ll do that.”
As we walked toward the tent and RV area, Cameron said, “This place is right outside the city, and I never knew it was here. It’s amazing. So beautiful and relaxing. I can’t believe it was here all along without me noticing.”
“That could describe a lot of things,” I said.
Cameron chuckled. “Yeah. I suppose that’s true. A whole world of shifters living right beside me, and I never knew it was there.”
“Speaking of,” I said. “Want to go for another run before dinner?”
The grin that spread across Cameron’s face was like sunlight after a storm. Every time I saw it, something in me lifted, as if I was being pulled up from some dark and forgotten place.
“Yes,” she said. Before I could react, she let go of my hand and bolted into the woods.
I sprinted to keep up with her. We ran until we were well away from the campsites and before shifting. Our wolves rushed through the underbrush and into the forest again, nipping at each other’s heels.
When we returned, the sun had slipped low, and the grills were fired up. The savory aroma of grilled food caught our attention. Ravenous again, we made a beeline for the pavilion.
“Are you two here on your honeymoon?”
The question came from a middle-aged woman standing with her husband in line for food.
“Uh, let’s just say we’re celebrating a big event,” I said, smiling at Cameron.
“Okay,” the woman said with a smile. “Say no more. Nothing like the forest to celebrate, right?”
“Right,” I said.
Cameron gave me a quizzical grin as she grabbed a plate. I loaded mine with a hamburger and a small quarter rack of ribs, along with a pile of potato salad and coleslaw. Cameron, however, had to get two plates. A hamburger, a hot dog, ribs, and then potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, and a big scoop of some sort of chocolate pudding and cookie trifle dessert sitting on a tub of ice.
“Are you gonna eat all that?” I asked, gaping at her plate.
She shrugged and gave me an embarrassed grin. “I’m starving.”
“No shit.” I laughed and grabbed a couple of beers from the cooler at the end of the makeshift buffet line.
The staff had set up a big bonfire with heavy logs all around for people to sit on. Cameron and I found a spot and dug into our food. Much to my awe, she finished before I did. When the sun had fully set, the staff passed out rolled blankets for us while a guy took a seat and started playing instrumental songs on a guitar.
Was this real life?
I leaned against the log. Cameron settled between my legs, her back resting on my chest as I arranged a blanket over us. A family passed by—a mother, a father, and a young girl of about five.
The girl waved at us and gave us a big, gap-toothed grin. “Hello!”
“Hey there.” I winked at her, then nodded at her parents. “Good evening.”
Cameron’s shoulders hitched like she was laughing.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
